Submarine mine



' July 28, 1-925.

SUBMARINE MINE Filed oct. 19, 1922 L. W. M KEEHAN ET AL g Y. 3: p know glthatqw e, vLOUIS V -MoKnnHA1r and VVVILLIALLIHEARL PATRICK,

' 1 J Jr; citizensof the UnitedStates residing l 5 at, Qrange New ersey,x'and' Boise, Idaho rospectively, have invented new'and useful Improvements inf Submarine ii lines; *of

which thefollow ng 1s a speclfic'ation; .7

".ll Q I ;-This invention relates to improvements 1 in submarine mines and more particularly to means for closing'the circuit of electriship, i

- cally fired means on contact-with?"passing:

now in general'use with-out materialfalteraeg tiona a 7 e further object is to providea member a I adapted to beiattached tothe exterior of-a -V mine casing'for engagement by a passing ship and on such engagement to complete a e I eludes the detonator 27 and is secured to the binding post '20.' vUsing a battery-of this type; no appreciable I current canlpass through seawater before metallic -;contact' c.

is established-between, the central" part and circuit'and fire themine. I ,5; I Acfurther object is tofprovide a device Y ofthe last above mentioned character which may be inexpensively; manufactured, assem bledandinstall'ed; v I v f Other object'stwillibegin'part obvious'and '1 j 3 in part hereinafter-pointed out in connec tion'with the accompanying sheet of draw- 7 ings illustrating ini cross section one of Va -r1ous possible modlfications.

, 2 Referring to this drawing in detail, ids

7 notes, a section of an ordinary spherical mine case now in general usejwh'ich is provided with one or more central openings in each of which is fitted a plug 2 preferably of copper but suitably insulated from-the I mine casing by means of insulationwashers 3 and 4;. This plug 'Qhas a recess 5 tapped out on its upper side and a similar recess 6 011 its lower side within the mine casing. r Engaging the upper recess is a central stud" 7. preferably integrally formed with a contact member 8 .adapt'edto be engaged by fa passing ship and separated from the part end 8 to "be easily brokenofi'undercertain 115 conditions or bebent' onfengagement with a ship to "carry a disc 11 into engagement with, a stiff annular member 12 surrounding but out of contact with the disc 8. The

art 7 is suitably insulated from the'memer '12 y insula ion blocks 13 and 14 simi- ;Q I oUIs'w LLIAMs mumm s ensues; iimv'asasnnann wintrAivrnaar irAqi aIeK','J a'., orsoisninano asslenonsiro OV RNMENTosrHE u nranfsrarssf' sasaasiaaama i i -{I Applicationmed qctoberjlfi, 1922.8j s m Nb;

Wa -ins? insulating; bushing 13.5w preventabrade T ,ing of' insulatingwasher lfiywhencentra l forth' V I v Without furtherxanalysis, the foregoing;

'7 'by em/restricted portion permittingthe will?so"fu-lly' reveal thegist of this inven 1 r i i-h p r rushing; as

interposed between the central Stud} 7' and stud 7 is being" screwed into -pofsition. A 1 polygonal shoulder: l6,fintegral.;withcen- V tral'istudfi; is adapted to be engagedfwitliff a su1tablew rench{ "Thus a rigidlassembly is} obtained. "Likewisdla nut :17 holds that,

The'low'errecessfi isengagedfby a' 'bind-lf mg post stud 20 provided with aoclampin' ing casing. 1 and plug 2.

LThere shown 7 diagrammaticallyYin is t lowerkrlght hand corneriof the-figurefthewiring circuit which includes one partif23'i "disc 111a place against a ShoulderlSQf} grounded on the mine casing atf24 atone" side of a low voltage battery 25 while at the opposite side of; the battery the lead 26 ina relatively'largesteel surface. Itwillthus be seen that when the circuit isi'c losed' current will flow from the battery "through the mine casing to the-member 12 thenceto V the disc ll'through the stud 7 *and 'plug 2" to the binding post 20 through the detonator and thence to the oppositeside-of the bat-f tery.

It is believed that it is unnecessary to 'de-l' I scribe'the operation and use of the present invention further than above set forth, as

'the mechanism will-beclear to th0Se'ski11 d J of thebbjects'and advantages herein set tion 7 that others. canrby' applying current knowledge readily adapt it: forvario usfapv plications without oinitting certainifeat that fromthe standpoint of the prior'aru- V V fairly. constitute essential characteristics of Y thegenericor specific aspects of this lIlVeh-a 1 tion, ancLtherefore, such adaptations should: i 5

I a mine casing, an annular member mounted 15 thereon adapted to be connected with one side of a battery, a projection centrally disposed within said member and electrically connected through a detonator to the opposite side of said battery, said central mem her being insulated from said annular member but adapted to be bent into engagement therewith When engaged by'a passing ship.

3. In a submarine mine, in combination, a mine casing, an annular contact member mounted thereon and in electrical engagement therewith, said mine casing having an opening, a closing plug mounted therein, a contact device carried by said closingplug adapted to be bent to. engage said annular member when engaged by a passing ship, a circuit including a battery and a detonator, 'the wires of said circuit being connected respectively to said central member and said annular member, whereby the circuit is completed and the mine fired When the central member and the annular member are moved into contact.

4C. In a submarine mine, in combination, -a mine casing having an opening, aclosing plug mounted therein but insulated from said casing, a battery in said casing, an an- .nular member associated With the closing plug but insulated therefrom, a central contact member mounted on said plug and surrounded by said annular member, said casing and contact member being connected to .the opposite leads from said battery, and a detonator in circuit therewith adapted to be fired when the circuit is closed by the engagement of said contact member with the annular member.

Signed at New York, N. Y., this 10th day of July, 1922.

LOUIS WILLIAMS MOKEEHAN.

Signed at Washington, D. 0., this tth day of August, 1922.

WILLIAM EARL PATRICK, J R. 

